UPDATED: YONKERS, N.Y. – Two people were rescued Sunday night after a propeller plane crashed into the Hudson River in Yonkers near JFK Marina Park.

The victims, a 43-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, both from New Jersey, were taken to an area hospital to be treated for hypothermia, Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said at the scene. They were the only occupants of the plane, identified by police as a Piper Cherokee six-seat airplane.

Two search helicopters and multiple boats searched for the submerged plane Sunday. Only debris was found as of 7 p.m.

Police said they received several calls around 5:22 p.m. reporting a low-flying plane that had crashed into the river.

The plane crashed 200 yards south of the JFK Marina and 200 yards out into the water, Gardner said.
When police arrived the plane was almost completely submerged in the water, police said.

The rescue was conducted by three off-duty Yonkers police officers and a retired detective who became aware of the incident, police said. On-duty Emergency Service Unit officers Christopher Balezentis and Michael Atkins also assisted, police said.

The group was able to get access to a boat belonging to the Hudson River Pilot House, located on Alexander Street opposite the City Jail. They found the victims at 5:47 p.m. floating in the water with flotation devices, Gardner said.

"Obviously we're very happy they were in the area and they were able to get this boat out to these people who were in the water in very cold temperatures," Gardner said of the officers who performed the rescue.

Both victims were taken to shore where police and fire personnel were waiting. They were taken to an area trauma center and both are expected to survive.

Federal authorities were notified of the incident, Gardner said. Police departments from Yonkers, Westchester, New York State responded to the scene as well as the Yonkers Fire Department.

Yonkers police remained at the scene late Sunday pending further investigation by the detective division and the Federal Aviation Administration.